I miss humans
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. –Matthew 18:20 (NIV)
We were trending toward isolation before the pandemic. Remote officing (is that a word?), virtual meeting rooms, online shopping, and social media meant we could conduct business and “interact” without ever actually seeing another human being. The protocols and parameters of the pandemic only reinforced the trend. We’ve allowed technological connectedness to damage our relational connectedness.
From the beginning, God designed us for relationship. Isolation is not good for human beings. On the contrary, systemic disconnectedness from neighbors and communities erodes shared values and shared causes and leads to a sense of loneliness and paranoia that encourages tribalism. The isolation of being alone in a crowd is worse than just being by ourselves. In the absence of actual, meaningful contact with one another to maintain shared perspective on how we will interpret current events in the context of history, worldview, and community, we tend to make assumptions, create narratives, assign motives, and choose sides.
Indeed, we seem willing to commit things in writing to a stranger on the internet that we would never say to someone’s face. Over time, an “us versus them” mentality develops. I am no longer satisfied with “agreeing to disagree” – I now need to destroy you, or at least shut you up by destroying your reputation and credibility. Social media and chat boards not only fail to replace actual friendship; they seem to make it more difficult. We see people running to extremes, building fences, and lobbing grenades at their “enemies”, all for the “likes” of those in their circle. When those cries for attention and approval become hateful and violent, whether or not they originated from a place that we, at one time, more or less agreed with, we have to draw a line.
I can’t stop Democrats and Republicans from demonizing one another. I can’t be the moderator of the internet, ferreting out objectionable content (though I’d give it a try if asked!). But the love of Christ compels me to be a minister of reconciliation within my sphere of influence (2 Corinthians 5:11-21). What does that look like? Real connection with real people. Here are a few suggestions:
Ration your intake of news, talk radio, and social media. A constant diet of doom and gloom, coupled with over-indulgence in extreme, accusatory, or conspiratorial viewpoints will leave you depressed, angry, and suspicious – hardly fit to offer a message of hope.
Stay in touch with your guys. A trusted group of friends to offer perspective and test ideas is not only encouraging, but healthy. I meet with my foxhole every week (combo in-person and Zoom), and they have talked me down from the ledge more than once.
Look for others who are struggling. If we need it, you know others do as well. Reach out. Go get a cup of coffee or schedule a FaceTime call. See their face and let them see yours. Hear their voice and let them hear yours. Be a friend, not just a Facebook friend.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. –Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)